Last One Standing
by Aspiring Mythmaker
Summary: Killing someone isn't easy. Especially when that someone is the President. Nack thinks he's up to the challenge, but can the Ultimate Lifeform prove him wrong?


Written for the Kelviniana forum challenge.

* * *

"Alpha-5, this is Alpha-2. Target sighted at 35th and Brass."

Shadow unhooked his radio as the report came in and thumbed the call button. "Confirm, Alpha-2, target is in place?"

"Confirmed. VIP arrives in forty-five seconds. Can you intercept?"

"Affirmative. ETA thirty seconds." Reaching into his belt pouch, Shadow grabbed hold of the Chaos Emerald and concentrated. The next moment, he was on the roof of an apartment complex, half a mile away. "What floor?"

"Eighth. Room 819. Will rendezvous outside."

"Negative," he said as sprang onto the fire escape and slid down the ladder. "I don't need any help."

"...alright. But if I end up having to save your butt, you owe me a beer."

"Whatever."

* * *

The sun was just dipping below the skyline of Westopolis as the President's motorcade arrived at the stadium. The throngs of people who had turned out for the United Federation's 60th Birthday waved their flags at the approaching limousine, cheering so hard that Nack could hear it a full mile away. He listened for a moment, then nodded. _Good. I doubt anyone will hear me over all that._

He adjusted his scope slightly as he ranged on the vehicle, lazily tracking the outlines barely visible through the glass. Bulletproof glass, to be exact, but he wasn't worried. The virtual conga-line of well-wishers standing between the limo and the entrance would give him plenty of time to take the shot.

_Damn, I missed this. _His tail quivered with excitement, and he found himself grinning.

It'd been years since his last kill, a contract with a big, fat paycheck. Five years...it felt like fifty. In the idleness of retirement, time had seemed to pass like molasses. He'd found a girl, tried his hand at the whole family thing, but it had ended up a total disaster. By the time the courts got through with him, he was right back where he started, except without any money.

And then this. Contacted out of the blue like a message from on high. Something within him yearned for the challenge, and he hadn't given it a second thought before retrieving his rifle case from the safety deposit box.

And now, he thought as the car came to a stop a mile away, I'm back on top.

The door crashed open behind him, and he whipped around, poised to fire. The door bounced off the wall, snapping the hinges and tumbling against the floor, and a black hedgehog stepped calmly into the room. Fang's eyes widened. He'd seen this one on television, when the ARK had almost crashed into the Earth. Except...

"You're supposed to be dead," he hissed. "How the hell did you survive, Shadow?"

"Long story," Shadow spat. "Now drop the gun and step away from the window."

Fang kept the gun trained on Shadow, mind racing as he tried to remember the details from when Project Shadow had been made public four years ago, after the ARK incident. Enhanced speed, enhanced strength, regeneration. And judging from his surviving an atmospheric re-entry, damn-near indestructible. Not good.

"Last I heard you wanted to destroy humanity," he said as the crowds went wild in the distance. "Change your mind or something, Shadow?"

"Agent Shadow," the hedgehog corrected, pulling a familiar gemstone out of the pouch at his waist. "I'm going to tell you one more time. Put it down!"

_A GUN agent? Crap_. Fang bared his teeth. _Not good at all. If he's with the military, he probably didn't come alone. Which means there's a good chance I'm not making it out of this one._

He could feel himself starting to panic. His grip began to loosen, and then the cheers outside redoubled, and he grinned as he made his decision. _At least they'll have something to remember me by!_

He whipped around, and time seemed to slow to a crawl. Light bloomed in the lens, he could see a blur of motion in his peripheral vision, but the image quickly coalesced into a crowd of humanity, and he focused all his attention on the man at the center of it all. Everything faded away; sight, sound, sensation. There was nothing but him and the target. His finger squeezed the trigger.

He watched the president wave to the crowd, smiling almost dreamily under the onslaught of humanity as the bullet streaked towards him. Moving at three thousand feet per second, it took almost two full seconds to cross the span between them. Here it comes...

There was a flicker above the crowd, and he gaped as Shadow burst into existence from out of thin air. "NO!" he snarled as the hedgehog hurled himself bodily onto the President, tackling him to the ground as the bullet screamed through the space he'd been a half-second before and burying itself in the pavement.

Fury and disbelief paralyzed him for almost a full second, and then he flung himself away from the window sill, letting the gun tumble to the floor as he came to his feet and sprinted across the room. He spotted a flash out of the corner of his eye, and heard the thump of feet on the floor. "Stop!" a voice shouted after him, and he ignored it as he hurled himself through the open window.

The feel of nothing but open air around him almost tore a scream from his throat, but he clamped his teeth on it as he fell four stories down and landed in the dumpster. The impact knocked the wind out of him, but the insulation he'd dumped there the day kept him from breaking any bones. He hauled himself over the side, still trying to catch his breath as his eyes found his motorcycle, the Marvelous Queen, propped against the wall down the alley. He took one step before hearing the same whining noise, and then gagged as a hand fastened around his throat and pinned him against the dumpster.

The flat, red eyes of Shadow glared at him as he tore at the hand wrapped around his neck. "That was a mistake, Nack," the hedgehog said, and his eyes widened. "Yes, we know who you are. Your employer got cold feet and told us the whole story. And I'm afraid the only thing you're going to be shooting is the breeze."

Nack swallowed, then chuckled weakly as he let his hands fall. "I hope you brought a lot of backup, because you're not going to be taking me in that easily."

Shadow stared at him, then laughed. "I don't need any backup for this. I'm stronger than you, faster than you, and by all appearances smarter than you. Face it, it's over."

"Oh really?" Nack smirked as his hand slid into his jacket. "Well, I've got one thing that you haven't got."

The hand on his neck tightened, and Shadow's eyes narrowed. "And what would that be?"

"Earplugs." And then the flashbang in his pocket went off.

* * *

His head felt like it was splitting in half. Shadow tried to open his eyes and gagged as it felt like d._ Dammit! How could I be so stupid? _He strained, finally managing to get a glimpse of a figure tottering off, a shiny object clutched in its fist. _The Emerald!_ He tried to sit up, but his arm crumpled beneath him as a flash of dizziness struck, and his head slammed to the pavement. Painful, but the sudden shock seemed to clear at least a little of the cloudiness from his mind. He lifted his head just in time to see Nack's motorcycle stir into motion before it took off, and he grimaced as he realized he couldn't hear the engine.

He groped for the radio on his belt. "Alpha-2, this is Alpha-5," he said, hearing only a faint buzzing as he did. "Target is fleeing the scene on a blue and yellow motorbike. Monitor but do not engage; he's mine."

The radio buzzed as someone replied, but he ignored it. Clipping the device back onto his belt, he stumbled down the alley.

* * *

Nack opened up the Marvelous Queen's throttle as he felt his lungs spasm. He coughed, tasting copper in his mouth, and shook his head. _My head's still on straight, but the concussion did a number on my innards. I need to get patched up...if I can get away clean._

The cars ahead had slowed to a crawl from the traffic the President's arrival had brought, and he rocketed between the lanes heedlessly. The light ahead was red, but he weaved between the cross-traffic to a chorus of screeching tires. The stun grenade would buy him some time, but he needed to get to his emergency cache before the hedgehog caught up, or at least open up the distance enough to lose himself in the crowd.

_At least, _he told himself as he patted the pocket with the glowing gemstone in it, _I've got a bit of a consolation prize._

Before he'd gone three blocks, he saw an oncoming police car appear at the next intersection, lights flashing. Instinctively, he thumbed the switch on his handlebar, causing a recessed panel on the Queen's front end to open and revealing a mounted, revolving-chamber grenade launcher. The cop was just getting out of his car when a pair of 40mm explosive shells slammed into the back-end, spinning the car and tossing him aside like a rag-doll. Nack chuckled, then cringed as the laugh sent pain lancing through his chest. _Almost,_ he promised himself. _I'm almost clear-_

A honking behind him drew his attention, and he turned around just in time to see Shadow careen into the side of a car a hundred feet behind him, crumpling the body like tinfoil. The driver got out to help, but the hedgehog pulled himself out of the cratered metal and continued on, fumbling along on his hover-skates.

Nack gritted his teeth._ So much for the grenade,_ he thought as the hedgehog bounced from side to side, denting cars as he passed. _He's not recovered yet, but even on the If I don't shake him.._.

He ran his hands across the buttons and switches on the console. Spikes and oil-slicks would be useless if his feet never touched the ground, and he was still too unsteady for a smokescreen to make much difference. He grinned as he found the button he was looking for, waiting for the hedgehog to pull ahead. Fifty feet...Thirty feet...twenty feet...and he jammed the button down, sending a bloom of flame streaming out the back of the bike. The hedgehog careened out of the lane, shooting high off to the left to avoid being barbecued. He smashed into a brick wall, and Nack gave a shout of triumph at the bone-snapping impact, which tapered off when the hedgehog immediately came to his feet and continued onward.

Snarling, Nack careened up an entrance ramp and onto the highway, weaving in and out of traffic as he yanked a machine pistol out. Throwing his arm out behind him, he cast glances over his shoulder, trying to find his target. He caught a flash of black and fired, grimacing as dark town car veered off and ground against the barrier, but then he finally caught sight of Shadow. The hedgehog was much steadier now, and gaining fast, but a hail of bullets forced him back. Pressing the cruise-control button, Nack drew his sidearm, stood up on the foot pegs, and brought both barrels to bear.

The first shots went wide as the hedgehog changed lanes. The next barrage was right on center, but the hedgehog disappeared with a flash, reappearing about ten feet ahead. _Great. More of this shit._ He switched the guns to full auto and sprayed across the roadway, but the hedgehog bobbed, weaved, and teleported away from every shot, and pretty soon he was empty.

"What's it take to hit this bastard?" he howled, before ducking low on his bike as a bolt of light sprang out of the hedgehog's outstretched hand, slicing through the barrier ahead of him before exploding. Darting a look around, he saw that the traffic had melted around the two of them as bullets had started flying, jamming in ahead and behind them, and his eyes narrowed as an idea began to form. Another bolt pierced the roadway ahead, nearly missing the bike itself, and he thrust down on the emergency power switch, throwing the Queen forward and into the pack of cars ahead as Shadow continued to gain on him. Dodging between them, he waited until Shadow was almost directly behind the pack, and then jammed down on every button at once.

Chaos erupted as a chorus of explosions and careening vehicles fanned out around him. Tires screeched and burst as they ran across his traps, and one of them flipped extravagantly, only to be saved when Shadow leaped forward to keep it from crashing into the rest of the pack. Screeching with laughter, heedless of the pain it brought, Nack pulled off the next exit ramp into a familiar part of town. He recognized the park on his left, with the big shelter and pond, and grinned. _My cache is right around here, _he realized triumphantly_. All I need to do is-_

This time, Shadow didn't miss. The bolt sliced through the front end of the bike and detonated, sending the whole thing corkscrewing through the air. It threw Nack from the vehicle and into a bush, and the bike itself spiraled towards the shelter, coming to rest just outside. Nack, staggered into the open, vomiting on the grass as people cried out, and then Shadow was there.

"It's over," he said flatly. "Give up before you really get hurt."

Nack's mind raced. The hedgehog was too far away for another flashbang...if he'd had one. All he had left was a hunting knife, and that wasn't going to do much good against someone who could throw lightning.

_That just leaves..._

The humans who had drawn back during the crash now watched with intense interest from the shelter of the shelter, party-hats perched on their heads, and he saw the crippled Queen next to it, about fifty feet away. He stared at it, then turned to Shadow, whose eyes bulged as he slowly drew out a remote. "Five second timer, this," he said to him. "Think you're fast enough?"

"Don't you even-!"

"Sorry Queen," Nack whispered, and then pressed the button.

* * *

Shadow didn't stop to think. Without the Chaos Emerald to boost his power, it was a long distance to warp, but he threw every ounce of energy he could into it. He snapped out of existence, and then found himself standing atop the crippled bike. The crowd of humans shouted, but he ignored them as he warped again. With the bike in tow, he couldn't go far, but he didn't need to. He reappeared above the pond, about thirty feet from shore, and he kicked off, sending the bike tumbling into the water below.

The surface erupted in a ball of fire, sending a column of water dozens of feet into the air. The humans dove to the ground as the shock wave hammered the gazebo, and Shadow grunted as the explosion assaulted his injured ears, but then it was over. Water came crashing down on the pond as fish began floating belly up, and Shadow hung his head with a sigh.

He turned to where Nack had been, not at all surprised to see him gone. He sighed, reaching for the radio, and grunted as he found a smashed ruin of plastic. It was anyone's guess when it had been broken, considering what he'd been through. Which meant he wasn't going to get any fresh intel. _On the bright side, at least I can hear again._

A clang from the street drew his attention, and he dashed out into the road, eyes narrowing as he spotted a manhole cover slightly ajar.

* * *

Nack gagged, though whether from his injuries or the smell he wasn't sure. In hindsight, there were probably more convenient places to stash things, but at least people were less likely to stumble across them right down here. His foot twisted harshly in the rancid water swirling around his feet, and he fell against the side of the pipe as a fresh wave of nausea stuck him, but he swallowed it back. _Just a little further. Just a little further._

There was the sound of scraping metal behind him, and he stumbled around the next corner as someone came splashing down into the sewer along with him. He waited, not breathing as he listened, and then sighed as he heard movement heading away from him. _Just a little further._ Gasping, he hobbled slowly along down the waterway, making another turn, and his eyes lighting up as he spotted what he was looking for: a large, heavy dry-bag hanging from the ceiling a few yards ahead. He limped quickly towards it, wincing at the noise he made but desperate to reach his cache, and his hands wrapped around the sack and bore it to the floor.

His hands worked at the seal, and he soon had the bag open in front of him, the grips of a half-dozen rifles facing him. He reached past them for now and pulled out the med-kit, groping inside the dark case until his fingers found a hypodermic needle. Drawing it out, he jammed it into his arm with a whimper, then a sigh as the cocktail of adrenaline and painkillers went to work. The weight in his chest seemed to lessen, and it was a lot easier to breathe.

He pulled out his knife and cut away his ruined jacket and belt, pulling the spare out of the bag, complete with sidearm and attached grenades. He pulled out the heavy assault rifle and several clips, as well as a grenade-launcher attachment, then paused as he remembered how Shadow had warped in close to him before, and grabbed a sawed-off shotgun as well. Then he propped himself against the wall, and waited.

It didn't take long. About thirty seconds, later, Shadow came skidding around the corner, floating above the water on his hover-skates, and the two locked eyes as they stood there, about a hundred feet of air between them.

"This doesn't have to end this way," Nack called out. "You've ruined my day, but I'm willing to call us even if you let me go."

"Not going to happen," Shadow called back. "Besides, you have something that belongs to me."

Nack cocked an eyebrow, then bent over to pull the gemstone out of his discarded pocket. "Right, of course. A Chaos Emerald, right?" He grinned and pocketed the stone. "How much you want to bet I'll make more off of this than I would have if I'd actually succeeded?"

"I'll be wanting that back, now."

The assault rifle came up. "Come and take it."

The sewer erupted in sound as the rifle opened fire, spraying the far side of the passage with bullet holes as Shadow ducked the barrage and rocketed forward. Nack darted to the side as a spear of light passed through where he had stood, marched his fire across the tube. The stream of fire followed Shadow as he dashed from side to side, skating up the walls and across the ceiling while he closed the distance. Nack snarled and jammed down on the firing stud of the grenade launcher, filling the passage with sound and dust where Shadow had been. There was a flash of light, and he whipped around, only for the rifle to come apart in his hands as one of Shadow's bolts sliced cleanly through it and buried itself in the ground before detonating

The blast threw him against the wall, and he dropped the ruined stock of his rifle and unlimbered his shotgun as Shadow closed from behind him. He fired at point-blank range, screaming as the hedgehog blinked out of existence, only to pitch forward as the Shadow reappeared behind him a kicked off with both legs. He landed face-first in the muck, and rolled quickly over to find Shadow standing over him, his shotgun clutched in the hedgehog's hands.

For a while, the only sound was flowing water. Then Nack sighed and raised his hands. "Alright, alright, I give." He reached out a hand towards the hedgehog, who used it to pull him up after a moment's pause, only to draw back with a shout as Nack slashed him across the chest with the knife he'd hidden up his sleeve. Nack yanked the pin on one of his grenades and tossed it above the Hedgehog's head, and the passage was filled with dust once more as the roof of the passage collapsed.

Nack pulled out his pistol and advanced on the fallen black mobian, dazed and pinned beneath a slab of concrete. Shadow's eyes were glazed, and he stared numbly at the barrel of the gun in his face as Nack grimaced. "You should have let me go," he said as he squeezed the trigger, only to fall back with a yell as his legs were swept out from under him

He crumpled into a heap on the floor, gun swinging about wildly as he searched for a target, and someone kicked his hand, sending the pistol flying. "GODDAMIT YOU SON OF A BI-" Nack ranted as he pawed at his belt, only for a booted foot to slam into his forehead, and the last thing he saw was a pair of wings spread above him before he passed out.

* * *

For the second time that day, Shadow found his ears ringing, and he shoved the slab off concrete off of himself irritably. He stood, a bit unsteadily, ignoring the outstretched hand offering support, and glared at the bat standing beside him. "I told you I didn't need any help, Alpha-2."

"Oh really?" Rouge glanced down at the unconscious weasel at her feet, then back at him. "Because that's not what it looked like. And you owe me a beer."

Shadow blushed, turning away. "Did you call it in?" he asked.

"Of course." She wrinkled her nose and flapped herself out of the sullied water. "They should be here any minute."

"Good. Make sure they search him good. He's tricky."

Rouge smiled. "Oh, trust me, I know." She turned and gave the unconscious body another kick. "Me and him go way back."

Silence. Then, "Well, I'll go get ready to meet them when they get here." He turned and made his way to a nearby ladder, then stopped.

"MacKenzies at eight," he said stiffly. "I'm buying...and thanks." Then he disappearing up the ladder, leaving behind a very amused bat.

* * *

Cliché, yes, but oh well. I've been stuck on the "To Cage the Beast" re-write for a bit, so this was a nice change of pace. The editing may not be up to my usual standards, but I intend to go back and fix that soon. Anyways, hope you enjoyed it!

explodinghead: Thanks for the spot! Can't believe I missed that...


End file.
